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{{Short description|Type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit}}
{{Short description|Type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit}}
[[File:Ferneses.jpg|thumb|right|Several brands of fernet sold in Argentina. From left to right: [[Cinzano]], [[Girolamo Luxardo|Luxardo]], [[Ramazzotti (liqueur)|Ramazzotti]], 1882, [[Fernet-Branca|Branca]] and [[Martini (vermouth)|Martini]].]]


[[File:Ferneses.jpg|thumb|Several brands of fernet sold in Argentina. From left to right: [[Cinzano]], [[Girolamo Luxardo|Luxardo]], [[Ramazzotti (liqueur)|Ramazzotti]], [[Fernet-Branca]], and [[Martini (vermouth)|Martini]].]]
'''Fernet''' ({{IPA-it|ferˈnɛt}}) is an Italian type of [[Amaro (drink)|amaro]], a [[bitters|bitter]], aromatic [[Distilled beverage|spirit]]. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include [[myrrh]], [[rhubarb]], [[chamomile]], [[cardamom]], [[aloe]], and especially [[saffron]],<ref name="sfweekly">{{Cite news |last=Cavalieri |first=Nate |date=2005-12-07 |title=The Myth of Fernet |work=[[SF Weekly]] |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/the-myth-of-fernet/Content?oid=2158526 |url-status=live |access-date=2020-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221223603/http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-12-07/news/the-myth-of-fernet/full |archive-date=21 February 2007}}</ref> with a base of distilled [[grape]] spirits.
'''Fernet''' ({{IPA|it|ferˈnɛt|lang}}) is an Italian type of ''[[Amaro (liqueur)|amaro]]'', a [[bitters|bitter]], aromatic [[Liquor|spirit]]. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include [[myrrh]], [[rhubarb]], [[chamomile]], [[cardamom]], [[aloe]], and especially [[saffron]],<ref name="sfweekly">{{Cite news |last=Cavalieri |first=Nate |date=2005-12-07 |title=The Myth of Fernet |work=[[SF Weekly]] |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/the-myth-of-fernet/Content?oid=2158526 |url-status=live |access-date=2020-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221223603/http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-12-07/news/the-myth-of-fernet/full |archive-date=21 February 2007}}</ref> with a base of distilled [[grape]] spirits.


Fernet is usually served as a [[digestif]] after a meal but may also be served with [[coffee]] and [[espresso]] or mixed into coffee and espresso drinks. It typically contains 45% [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] by volume. It may be served at room temperature or with ice.
Fernet is usually served as a [[Apéritif and digestif|digestif]] after a meal but may also be served with [[coffee]] and [[espresso]] or mixed into coffee and espresso drinks. It typically contains 45% [[Alcohol by volume|alc/vol]]. It may be served at room temperature or with ice.


The Italian liqueur has a [[cult following]] in the international bartending community and is immensely popular in [[Argentina]].<ref name="vice">{{Cite web |last=Compton |first=Natalie B. |date=November 26, 2018 |title=How Fernet Took Over Argentina |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wj3xbw/how-fernet-took-over-argentina |access-date=June 12, 2019 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |publisher=[[Vice Media]]}}</ref> The South American country consumes more than 75% of all fernet produced globally<ref name="cnn" /> and, due to the product's popularity, also has [[Fratelli Branca]]'s only distillery outside of Italy.<ref name="vice" /> As it is [[Fernandito|traditionally mixed with Coke]], fernet has also contributed in making Argentina one of the biggest consumers of [[Coca-Cola]] in the world.<ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |last=Lahrichi |first=Kamilia |date=March 14, 2017 |title=Argentina loves its Fernet, a bitter Italian liquor |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/fernet-alcohol-argentina/index.html |access-date=June 12, 2019 |publisher=[[CNN Travel]]}}</ref> Fernet and Coke (Spanish: ''[[fernet con coca]]'') is so ubiquitous in Argentina that it has been described as "the country's unofficial drink".<ref name="vice" /> This combination is called ''fernandito''.
The Italian liqueur has a [[cult following]] in the international bartending community and is immensely popular in [[Argentina]].<ref name="vice">{{Cite web |last=Compton |first=Natalie B. |date=November 26, 2018 |title=How Fernet Took Over Argentina |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wj3xbw/how-fernet-took-over-argentina |access-date=June 12, 2019 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |publisher=[[Vice Media]]}}</ref> The South American country consumes more than 75% of all fernet produced globally<ref name="cnn" /> and, due to the product's popularity, also has [[Fratelli Branca]]'s only distillery outside of Italy.<ref name="vice" /> As it is [[Fernet con coca|traditionally mixed with Coke]], fernet has also contributed in making Argentina one of the biggest consumers of [[Coca-Cola]] in the world.<ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |last=Lahrichi |first=Kamilia |date=March 14, 2017 |title=Argentina loves its Fernet, a bitter Italian liquor |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/fernet-alcohol-argentina/index.html |access-date=June 12, 2019 |publisher=[[CNN Travel]]}}</ref> Fernet and Coke (Spanish: ''[[fernet con coca]]'') is so ubiquitous in Argentina that it has been described as "the country's unofficial drink".<ref name="vice" /> This combination is called ''fernandito''.


==Popularity==
==Popularity==

===In Argentina===
===In Argentina===
{{See also|Fernet con coca}}
{{See also|Fernet con coca}}
[[File:Fernet and Coke (Fernet con Coca).jpg|thumb|''[[Fernandito|Fernet con coca]]'' (English: Fernet and Coke), a [[cultural icon]] of Argentina]]
[[File:Fernet and Coke (Fernet con Coca).jpg|thumb|''[[Fernet con coca]]'' (English: Fernet and Coke), a [[cultural icon]] of Argentina]]


Fernet was introduced to Argentina by Italians during the [[Great European immigration wave to Argentina|Great European immigration wave to the country]] of the late 19th century and early 20th century.<ref name="dia">{{Cite web |last=Petovel |first=Pablo |date=1 January 2013 |title=Todo lo que hay que saber sobre el fernet |url=http://www.diaadia.com.ar/cordoba/todo-lo-que-hay-que-saber-sobre-fernet |access-date=20 March 2016 |publisher=Día a Día. Contenidos Mediterráneos |language=es}}</ref> It is particularly associated with [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba Province]], which has been called "the world fernet capital"; almost three million litres are consumed there annually, representing just under 30 percent of national consumption.<ref name="vos">{{Cite web |last=Marchetti |first=Nicolás |date=15 October 2015 |title=Eligieron el mejor fernet de Argentina y no es el que estás pensando |url=http://vos.lavoz.com.ar/comer-y-beber/eligieron-el-mejor-fernet-de-argentina-y-no-es-el-que-estas-pensando |access-date=20 March 2016 |publisher=[[La Voz del Interior]]. Clarín Group |language=es}}</ref> National production is around 25 million liters, with 35% sold in [[Autonomous City of Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires city]] and [[Buenos Aires Province|province]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=El fenómeno fernet |language=es |work=Clarín |url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/06/02/conexiones/t-988028.htm |access-date=2014-08-11 |archive-date=2009-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308153725/http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/06/02/conexiones/t-988028.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Los argentinos vuelven al vermouth y al whisky importado |language=es |work=Clarín |url=http://www.ieco.clarin.com/notas/2008/02/11/01603486.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214124444/http://www.ieco.clarin.com/notas/2008/02/11/01603486.html |archive-date=2008-02-14}}</ref> [[Fernet-Branca]] is by far the most popular brand in the country, leading the market and reaching a "mythical" status among Argentines.<ref name="cola">{{Cite web |date=3 May 2013 |title=EBranca reconoce que la mezcla de fernet con Coca nació en Córdoba |url=http://www.lavoz.com.ar/ciudadanos/branca-reconoce-que-mezcla-fernet-con-coca-nacio-cordoba |access-date=20 March 2016 |publisher=[[La Voz del Interior]]. Clarín Group |language=es}}</ref> Other popular brands include 1882, Capri, Ramazzotti and Vittone.<ref name="vos" />
Fernet was introduced to Argentina by Italians during the [[Great European immigration wave to Argentina|Great European immigration wave to the country]] of the late 19th century and early 20th century.<ref name="dia">{{Cite web |last=Petovel |first=Pablo |date=1 January 2013 |title=Todo lo que hay que saber sobre el fernet |url=http://www.diaadia.com.ar/cordoba/todo-lo-que-hay-que-saber-sobre-fernet |access-date=20 March 2016 |publisher=Día a Día. Contenidos Mediterráneos |language=es}}</ref> It is particularly associated with [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba Province]], which has been called "the world fernet capital"; almost three million litres are consumed there annually, representing just under 30 percent of national consumption.<ref name="vos">{{Cite web |last=Marchetti |first=Nicolás |date=15 October 2015 |title=Eligieron el mejor fernet de Argentina y no es el que estás pensando |url=http://vos.lavoz.com.ar/comer-y-beber/eligieron-el-mejor-fernet-de-argentina-y-no-es-el-que-estas-pensando |access-date=20 March 2016 |publisher=[[La Voz del Interior]]. Clarín Group |language=es}}</ref> National production is around 25 million liters, with 35% sold in [[Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires city]] and [[Buenos Aires Province|province]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=El fenómeno fernet |language=es |work=Clarín |url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/06/02/conexiones/t-988028.htm |access-date=2014-08-11 |archive-date=2009-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308153725/http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/06/02/conexiones/t-988028.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Los argentinos vuelven al vermouth y al whisky importado |language=es |work=Clarín |url=http://www.ieco.clarin.com/notas/2008/02/11/01603486.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214124444/http://www.ieco.clarin.com/notas/2008/02/11/01603486.html |archive-date=2008-02-14}}</ref> [[Fernet-Branca]] is by far the most popular brand in the country, leading the market and reaching a "mythical" status among Argentines.<ref name="cola">{{Cite web |date=3 May 2013 |title=EBranca reconoce que la mezcla de fernet con Coca nació en Córdoba |url=http://www.lavoz.com.ar/ciudadanos/branca-reconoce-que-mezcla-fernet-con-coca-nacio-cordoba |access-date=20 March 2016 |publisher=[[La Voz del Interior]]. Clarín Group |language=es}}</ref> Other popular brands include 1882, Capri, Ramazzotti and Vittone.<ref name="vos" />


Fernet is commonly mixed with [[Coca-Cola]], a [[mixed drink]] known as ''[[Fernandito|fernet con coca]]'' (Spanish for "fernet and Coke") or ''fernando''.<ref name="cola" /><ref name="Rathbun2009">{{Cite book |last=Rathbun |first=A. J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hKgGjgbfhaUC&pg=PA207 |title=Dark Spirits: 200 Classy Concoctions Starring Bourbon, Brandy, Scotch, Whiskey, Rum and Morse |publisher=Harvard Common Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-55832-427-5 |page=207}}</ref> While long available, the drink became much more popular in the mid-1980s, encouraged by advertisements of Fratelli Branca in TV stations with national scope,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Promos y Publicidades Canal 9 Argentina (1987/88) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN-eX0DfwYk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/wN-eX0DfwYk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> its popularity growing steadily ever since.<ref name="brando">{{Cite web |last=Vecino |first=Diego |title=Fernet: una historia de amor argentina |url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1387961-fernet-una-historia-de-amor-argentina |access-date=11 December 2017 |publisher=Conexión Brando. [[La Nación]]}}</ref> Consumption of fernet increased greatly in the first decade of the 21st century.<ref name="dia" /> By the early 2010s, the popularity of relatively inexpensive fernet was so high that many bars in Buenos Aires removed it from their menus to encourage sales of more expensive drinks.<ref name="dia" />
Fernet is commonly mixed with [[Coca-Cola]], a [[mixed drink]] known as ''[[fernet con coca]]'' (Spanish for "fernet and Coke") or ''fernando''.<ref name="cola" /><ref name="Rathbun2009">{{Cite book |last=Rathbun |first=A. J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hKgGjgbfhaUC&pg=PA207 |title=Dark Spirits: 200 Classy Concoctions Starring Bourbon, Brandy, Scotch, Whiskey, Rum and Morse |publisher=Harvard Common Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-55832-427-5 |page=207}}</ref> While long available, the drink became much more popular in the mid-1980s, encouraged by advertisements of Fratelli Branca in TV stations with national scope,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Promos y Publicidades Canal 9 Argentina (1987/88) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN-eX0DfwYk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/wN-eX0DfwYk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> its popularity growing steadily ever since.<ref name="brando">{{Cite web |last=Vecino |first=Diego |title=Fernet: una historia de amor argentina |url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1387961-fernet-una-historia-de-amor-argentina |access-date=11 December 2017 |publisher=Conexión Brando. [[La Nación]] }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Consumption of fernet increased greatly in the first decade of the 21st century.<ref name="dia" /> By the early 2010s, the popularity of relatively inexpensive fernet was so high that many bars in Buenos Aires removed it from their menus to encourage sales of more expensive drinks.<ref name="dia" />


===In the US===
===In the United States===
The drink has been popular in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] since before [[Prohibition]].<ref name="sfweekly" /> In 2008, San Francisco accounted for 25% of US consumption.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Curtis |first=Wayne |date=November 2008 |title=The Bitter Beginning: Learning to love a bracing Italian liqueur |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/bitters |journal=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref> San Francisco bars usually serve fernet as a [[Shooter (mixed drink)|shot]] followed by a [[ginger ale]] chaser.<ref name="sfweekly" />
The drink has been popular in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] since before [[Prohibition]].<ref name="sfweekly" /> In 2008, San Francisco accounted for 25% of US consumption.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Curtis |first=Wayne |date=November 2008 |title=The Bitter Beginning: Learning to love a bracing Italian liqueur |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/bitters |journal=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref> San Francisco bars usually serve fernet as a [[Shooter (drink)|shot]] followed by a [[ginger ale]] chaser.<ref name="sfweekly" />


=== In the Czech Republic ===
===In the Czech Republic===
The Czech-manufactured [[Fernet Stock]] brand is popular in the Czech Republic,<ref>{{Cite web |title=O Společnosti - Stock Spirits |url=https://www.stock.cz/about/default.aspx |access-date=2020-06-29 |website=www.stock.cz |language=cs}}</ref> where it is served as shots or as part of different cocktails.
The Czech-manufactured [[Fernet Stock]] brand is popular in the Czech Republic,<ref>{{Cite web |title=O Společnosti - Stock Spirits |url=https://www.stock.cz/about/default.aspx |access-date=2020-06-29 |website=www.stock.cz |language=cs}}</ref> where it is served as shots or as part of different cocktails.


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Fernet can be mixed into cocktails, though the strong taste can overwhelm other ingredients. It can replace [[bitters]] in recipes; for instance, the Fanciulli cocktail is a [[Manhattan (cocktail)|Manhattan]] with fernet instead of [[Angostura bitters]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Felten |first=Eric |date=2009-01-03 |title=Making Bitter Fernet-Branca Much Easier to Swallow |work=[[Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123092858411149807}}</ref>
Fernet can be mixed into cocktails, though the strong taste can overwhelm other ingredients. It can replace [[bitters]] in recipes; for instance, the Fanciulli cocktail is a [[Manhattan (cocktail)|Manhattan]] with fernet instead of [[Angostura bitters]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Felten |first=Eric |date=2009-01-03 |title=Making Bitter Fernet-Branca Much Easier to Swallow |work=[[Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123092858411149807}}</ref>


The chef [[Fergus Henderson]] offers a recipe, entitled both "A Miracle" and "Dr. Henderson", that approximates Branca Menta (a fernet with menthols and peppermint), by combining two parts fernet with one part [[crème de menthe]] over ice. The recipe describes this cocktail as a cure for overindulgence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Henderson |first=Fergus |title=The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating |date=April 2004 |publisher=Ecco |isbn=0-06-058536-6 |author-link=Fergus Henderson}}</ref>
The chef [[Fergus Henderson]] offers a recipe, entitled both "A Miracle" and "Dr. Henderson", that approximates Branca Menta (a fernet with menthols and peppermint), by combining two parts fernet with one part [[crème de menthe]] over ice. The recipe describes this cocktail as a cure for overindulgence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Henderson |first=Fergus |title=The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating |date=April 2004 |publisher=Ecco |isbn=0-06-058536-6 |author-link=Fergus Henderson}}</ref>


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==
[[Fernet-Branca]] forms the titular subject of [[James Hamilton-Paterson]]'s 2004 novel of Tuscany expatriate life, ''Cooking with Fernet Branca''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Michael Dibdin |author-link=Michael Dibdin |date=2004-06-19 |title=Strange brew |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/jun/19/featuresreviews.guardianreview10}}</ref>
[[Fernet-Branca]] forms the titular subject of [[James Hamilton-Paterson]]'s 2004 novel of Tuscany expatriate life, ''Cooking with Fernet Branca''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Michael Dibdin |author-link=Michael Dibdin |date=2004-06-19 |title=Strange brew |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/jun/19/featuresreviews.guardianreview10}}</ref>


[[Mike and the Moonpies]]' 2019 song "You Look Good in Neon" makes reference to Fernet in its chorus. Fans of the band have taken to buying shots of the drink at concerts.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Hudak |first1=Joseph |title=How Mike and the Moonpies Blew Up Their Red Dirt Image at Abbey Road |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/mike-and-the-moonpies-cheap-silver-abbey-road-orchestra-865850/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=2 August 2019 |access-date=4 November 2022}}</ref>
[[Silverada]]'s 2019 song "You Look Good in Neon" makes reference to Fernet in its chorus. Fans of the band have taken to buying shots of the drink at concerts.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Hudak |first1=Joseph |title=How Mike and the Moonpies Blew Up Their Red Dirt Image at Abbey Road |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/mike-and-the-moonpies-cheap-silver-abbey-road-orchestra-865850/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=2 August 2019 |access-date=4 November 2022}}</ref>

In the popular James Gunn movie The Suicide Squad the titular character (played by Jon Cena) orders a round of “Fernets” for the table.

In S01E05 of The Sopranos, entitled College, Carmela Soprano tells Father Phil that she is having a Fernet and if he'd like one. He says he would rather have wine.

In the movie Dark Night Rises, in the ending scene, Alfred Pennyworth orders a Fernet Branca while in Florence


==See also==
==See also==
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{portal|Liquor}}
{{Portal|Italy|Drink|Liquor}}
* {{annotated link|Becherovka}}
* [[Fernet-Branca]]
* {{annotated link|Gammel Dansk}}
* {{annotated link|Riga Black Balsam}}


== References ==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Fernet}}


[[Category:Argentine alcoholic drinks]]
[[Category:Argentine alcoholic drinks]]

Revision as of 22:05, 15 August 2024

Several brands of fernet sold in Argentina. From left to right: Cinzano, Luxardo, Ramazzotti, Fernet-Branca, and Martini.

Fernet (Italian: [ferˈnɛt]) is an Italian type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and especially saffron,[1] with a base of distilled grape spirits.

Fernet is usually served as a digestif after a meal but may also be served with coffee and espresso or mixed into coffee and espresso drinks. It typically contains 45% alc/vol. It may be served at room temperature or with ice.

The Italian liqueur has a cult following in the international bartending community and is immensely popular in Argentina.[2] The South American country consumes more than 75% of all fernet produced globally[3] and, due to the product's popularity, also has Fratelli Branca's only distillery outside of Italy.[2] As it is traditionally mixed with Coke, fernet has also contributed in making Argentina one of the biggest consumers of Coca-Cola in the world.[3] Fernet and Coke (Spanish: fernet con coca) is so ubiquitous in Argentina that it has been described as "the country's unofficial drink".[2] This combination is called fernandito.

Popularity

In Argentina

Fernet con coca (English: Fernet and Coke), a cultural icon of Argentina

Fernet was introduced to Argentina by Italians during the Great European immigration wave to the country of the late 19th century and early 20th century.[4] It is particularly associated with Córdoba Province, which has been called "the world fernet capital"; almost three million litres are consumed there annually, representing just under 30 percent of national consumption.[5] National production is around 25 million liters, with 35% sold in Buenos Aires city and province.[6][7] Fernet-Branca is by far the most popular brand in the country, leading the market and reaching a "mythical" status among Argentines.[8] Other popular brands include 1882, Capri, Ramazzotti and Vittone.[5]

Fernet is commonly mixed with Coca-Cola, a mixed drink known as fernet con coca (Spanish for "fernet and Coke") or fernando.[8][9] While long available, the drink became much more popular in the mid-1980s, encouraged by advertisements of Fratelli Branca in TV stations with national scope,[10] its popularity growing steadily ever since.[11] Consumption of fernet increased greatly in the first decade of the 21st century.[4] By the early 2010s, the popularity of relatively inexpensive fernet was so high that many bars in Buenos Aires removed it from their menus to encourage sales of more expensive drinks.[4]

In the United States

The drink has been popular in the San Francisco Bay Area since before Prohibition.[1] In 2008, San Francisco accounted for 25% of US consumption.[12] San Francisco bars usually serve fernet as a shot followed by a ginger ale chaser.[1]

In the Czech Republic

The Czech-manufactured Fernet Stock brand is popular in the Czech Republic,[13] where it is served as shots or as part of different cocktails.

Cocktails

Fernet can be mixed into cocktails, though the strong taste can overwhelm other ingredients. It can replace bitters in recipes; for instance, the Fanciulli cocktail is a Manhattan with fernet instead of Angostura bitters.[14]

The chef Fergus Henderson offers a recipe, entitled both "A Miracle" and "Dr. Henderson", that approximates Branca Menta (a fernet with menthols and peppermint), by combining two parts fernet with one part crème de menthe over ice. The recipe describes this cocktail as a cure for overindulgence.[15]

Fernet-Branca forms the titular subject of James Hamilton-Paterson's 2004 novel of Tuscany expatriate life, Cooking with Fernet Branca.[16]

Silverada's 2019 song "You Look Good in Neon" makes reference to Fernet in its chorus. Fans of the band have taken to buying shots of the drink at concerts.[17]

See also

Media related to Fernet at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ^ a b c Cavalieri, Nate (2005-12-07). "The Myth of Fernet". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on 21 February 2007. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  2. ^ a b c Compton, Natalie B. (November 26, 2018). "How Fernet Took Over Argentina". Vice. Vice Media. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Lahrichi, Kamilia (March 14, 2017). "Argentina loves its Fernet, a bitter Italian liquor". CNN Travel. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Petovel, Pablo (1 January 2013). "Todo lo que hay que saber sobre el fernet" (in Spanish). Día a Día. Contenidos Mediterráneos. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  5. ^ a b Marchetti, Nicolás (15 October 2015). "Eligieron el mejor fernet de Argentina y no es el que estás pensando" (in Spanish). La Voz del Interior. Clarín Group. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  6. ^ "El fenómeno fernet". Clarín (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-03-08. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  7. ^ "Los argentinos vuelven al vermouth y al whisky importado". Clarín (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2008-02-14.
  8. ^ a b "EBranca reconoce que la mezcla de fernet con Coca nació en Córdoba" (in Spanish). La Voz del Interior. Clarín Group. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  9. ^ Rathbun, A. J. (2009). Dark Spirits: 200 Classy Concoctions Starring Bourbon, Brandy, Scotch, Whiskey, Rum and Morse. Harvard Common Press. p. 207. ISBN 978-1-55832-427-5.
  10. ^ "Promos y Publicidades Canal 9 Argentina (1987/88)". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 – via www.youtube.com.
  11. ^ Vecino, Diego. "Fernet: una historia de amor argentina". Conexión Brando. La Nación. Retrieved 11 December 2017.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Curtis, Wayne (November 2008). "The Bitter Beginning: Learning to love a bracing Italian liqueur". The Atlantic.
  13. ^ "O Společnosti - Stock Spirits". www.stock.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  14. ^ Felten, Eric (2009-01-03). "Making Bitter Fernet-Branca Much Easier to Swallow". Wall Street Journal.
  15. ^ Henderson, Fergus (April 2004). The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating. Ecco. ISBN 0-06-058536-6.
  16. ^ Michael Dibdin (2004-06-19). "Strange brew". The Guardian.
  17. ^ Hudak, Joseph (2 August 2019). "How Mike and the Moonpies Blew Up Their Red Dirt Image at Abbey Road". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 November 2022.